Polish and Dutch death metal bands BEHEMOTH and GOD DETHRONED have been added to the lineup of the ninth annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, presented by ESP Guitars & Basses and Krank Amps on Friday, April 27 and Saturday, April 28.

The festival will join forces with Metal Blade this year to celebrate the label’s 25th anniversary. The main and side stages will both exclusively feature Metal Blade bands on Saturday, topped off by a once-in-lifetime performance that will bring together musicians from Metal Blade’s stellar roster of bands.

The lineup has been announced for this year's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The event will be headlined by black metal act Dimmu Borgir and feature performances from Bury Your Dead, Kylesa, The Devil Wears Prada, 100 Demons, Nora, The Human Abstract, Death Before Dishonor, Dead Hearts, Unearth, Shai Hulud and many more.

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival take place at the Palladium, located at 261 Main Street in Worcester, Mass.

More live footage of If Hope Dies is now online at the Underground Video Television website. It is for their track “Death Of A Salesman” which was recorded & filmed at The Furnace in Syracuse NY earlier this year.

As previously reported, If Hope Dies will be touring through December and then going on indefinite hiatus.

Bay Area thrashers LIGHT THIS CITY have joined forces with labelmates Through The Eyes of the Dead and The Acacia Strain along with From A Second Story Window, replacing If Hope Dies on the upcoming Through The Eyes of the Dead headlining tour. Sponsored by Draven Shoes and Decibel magazine, the tour will cross the US from November 16 - December 17 and marks LIGHT THIS CITY's return to the road after the band's two-month stint on the Spreading The Disease tour alongside Suicide Silence, All Shall Perish and Nights Like These and subsequent three-week run alongside Caliban and The Acacia Strain.

"We are more than excited about getting the opportunity to tour with our good friends in Through the Eyes of the Dead and The Acacia Strain," drummer Ben Murray said. "We have toured with both of those bands in the past and can't wait to join forces again! We'll see all of you guys at the shows. It should be a month of good times."

LIGHT THIS CITY continues to support the band's third release, 'Facing The Thousand,' which was released in September through Prosthetic Records. Produced by Zack Ohren and featuring artwork by Robot Plague's Mario Garza, 'Facing The Thousand' was recorded in March of 2006 and is the follow-up to 2005's 'Remains of the Gods.' The record features a guest vocal appearance by The Black Dahlia Murder's Trevor Strnad on the track "Fear of Heights."

Metalcore band If Hope Dies (Ironclad Recordings) has announced plans to go on an indefinite hiatus. The Auburn, NY group has issued the following statement:

"Let's put some rumors to rest, shall we? Many of you may have heard that we're breaking up. Fact is we are going on an indefinate hiatus after December. Some of our hearts just haven't been into this lately and why keep touring if we're not going to give it our all every night? We have already talked about the future and recording another album which we all agreed we want to do eventually. Now however just isn't the time.

We plan on finishing the Radio Takeover tour with our great friends in Oh Sleeper, The Human Abstract and Versus The Mirror, but we unfortunately have backed out of the Through the Eyes of the Dead tour. We will be playing a bunch of shows in December before taking some much needed time off so keep an eye out for an announcment on dates very soon.

With all that being said, Brandon, Naren and Brian have continued writing music for a rock band that plan to start touring within the coming months. The band is currently looking for a singer to complete the project so if you think you're the man, or woman for the job, shoot an email to xbrianwardx@gmail.com."

There is another new live video of If Hope Dies performing their track “Roddy Piper’s Magic Sunglasses” available for viewing at the Underground Video Television website. The footage was taken at The Furnace in Syracuse NY earlier this year. The band is currently on the Radio Takeover & Through The Eyes Of The Dead tours covering October & November in support of their latest release “Life In Ruin” via Ironclad/Metal Blade.

"Prosthetic Records is excited to announce that THROUGH THE EYES OF THE DEAD will be headlinging a nationwide tour along with labelmates THE ACACIA STRAIN as well as From A Second Story Window and If Hope Dies! More dates will be announced soon, so keep your eyes peeled!"

If Hope Dies recently confirmed the permanent addition of guitarist Naren Ananda to their line-up. Ananda, who has already been filling in for the band for weeks, replaces guitarist Thad Jackson, who left If Hope Dies this past spring.

As previously reported, If Hope Dies will take part in theupcoming Radiotakeover "Take It Back Tour," also featuring Versus The Mirror, The Human Abstract, and Oh, Sleeper for six weeks in October and November.

Initial dates have been announced for the upcoming Radiotakeover "Take It Back Tour," featuring If Hope Dies, Versus The Mirror, The Human Abstract, and Oh, Sleeper. More dates will be confirmed, but here's the latest:

The Radiotakeover Tour will return this fall. The package will be a full U.S. tour in October and November featuring If Hope Dies, Versus The Mirror, The Human Abstract, and Oh, Sleeper. Dates and venues will be revealed shortly.

IF HOPE DIES have confirmed the addition of long term fill-in guitarist Naren Ananda to the groups ranks. A message from the band reads as follows:

"As everyone knows, Thad left the band to persue other things. But one of our good friends Naren Ananda has been filling in for a while now and is officially a new member of IHD. We're all really excited to have him with us and are looking forward to getting back on the road very soon. We'll be heading out with him this October on the Radiotakeover Tour. Dates will be announced soon so keep on a lookout! Til then, keep it brutal."

Massachusetts ALL THAT REMAINS has unveiled the debut video from the bands forthcoming album, The Fall of Ideals. The video for the albums lead track, This Calling, was directed by Frankie Nasso (Mudvayne, Hatebreed) of Raging Nations films and is online here.

Shot at the end of May in the now-abandoned Hancock Naval Base in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, the videos concept revolves around the "calling" itself being represented by the voice of hope breaking free from a tainted and twisted state of mind. More...

On Wednesday, April 26, I got out to see Still Remains' "Of Love And Lunacy" tour, featuring supporting acts Nodes of Ranvier, If Hope Dies, Demiricous and Another Born Without at Jaxx in Springfield, Virginia. The real reason I was going to this show was to see Demiricous, but I also like what I've heard of If Hope Dies and wanted to check out Still Remains and Nodes of Ranvier, who I've heard a lot about but never heard their music or seen them live. I had noted to my friend who I planned to meet at the venue that the show wouldn't be crowded due the show being on a Wednesday night and having no big name headliners. I had no idea how much of an understatement that would turn out to be. More...

The full lineup for the 8th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, which is sponsored this year by ESP Guitars and Krank Amps, has been confirmed.

The three-day festival at The Palladium in Worcester, MA, will feature headliners Lacuna Coil, Black Dahlia Murder, and Between the Buried and Me on Friday, April 28. Arch Enemy, Chimaira, and Exodus will headline Saturday, April 29. Headliners for Sunday, April 30 are Gamma Ray and DragonForce.

UK-based DragonForce will be making its first-ever American appearance at the festival. Italy's Lacuna Coil and Sweden's Arch Enemy will be making return appearances at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, after stellar performances at the 2003 and 2002 editions of the festival.

"It's fantastic to be a part of what is quite possibly the best U.S. metal fest around!" said Arch Enemy guitarist Mike Amott. "This is our third time playing the New England Metal and Hardcore fest and it's always a pleasure. It's held in a great venue with great fans."

"It is an honor for us to be one of this year's headliners at the New England Metal and Hardcore festival," said vocalist Andrea Ferro. "We are more than ready for it. We can't wait."

Bands confirmed for Friday (listed alphabetically) are: A Life Once Lost, A Perfect Murder, Alarum, Arsis, Between The Buried And Me, Black Dahlia Murder, Cephalic Carnage, Dead To Fall, Demiricous, Ed Gein, From A Second Story Window, Haste The Day, If Hope Dies, Lacuna Coil, Ligeia, Necrophagist, Neuraxis, Nodes Of Ranvier, Ringworm, Scarlet, Still Remains, Suicide Silence, The Absence, Thine Eyes Bleed and Through The Eyes Of The Dead.

Friday tickets are $35.00; Saturday and Sunday individual day tickets are $40.00. Three-day passes are $109.50. Tickets are available now at all Strawberries Record Stores, online at tickets.com, or by calling tickets.com at (800) 477-6849. There is re-entry at this all-day event until 6 p.m. each day.

The Palladium is located at 261 Main Street in Worcester, Massachusetts.

MassConcerts has announced that the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival will return once again to the Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Friday April 28, Saturday April 29 and Sunday April 30. Friday tickets are $35.00; Saturday and Sunday individual day tickets are $40.00. Three-day passes are $109.50. Tickets go on sale this Friday, February 24 at 10:00am at all Strawberries Record Stores, online at tickets.com, or by calling tickets.com at (800) 477-6849.

Proclaimed in past years as one of the best American festivals focusing on heavy music, the three-day show will host numerous metal, hardcore, and metalcore bands along with a jam-packed vendor area where fans can purchase hard-to-find CDs, t-shirts, and other music merchandise. ESP Guitars will be giving away guitars and Krank Amps will be giving away amps and even a half stack. These two great companies will also be bringing you up close and personal with some of the bands they endorse - so as we get closer to fest we will have schedule of artist signings and other surprises.

The show will once again take place on two stages at The Palladium. Bands that have already been confirmed for the festival are: Lacuna Coil, Gamma Ray, DragonForce (first time EVER in America!), Arch Enemy, Chimaira, The Black Dahlia Murder, Bullet For My Valentine, Exodus, Cryptopsy, 100 Demons, A Perfect Murder, Alarum, Arsis, Bloodlined Calligraphy, Bronx Casket Company, Byzantine, Caliban, Cattle Decapitation, Colin Of Arabia, Damnation AD, Dead To Fall, Death Threat, Demiricous, Dying Eyes Bleed, Ed Gein, Embrace The End, Folly, Full Blown Chaos, Goat Horn, God Forbid, Hate Eternal, Horse The Band, Hypersolid, If Hope Dies, Immolation, Inked In Blood, Into Eternity, Ion Dissonance, Ligeia, Losa, Mercury Switch, Necrophagist, Neuraxis, Nodes Of Ranvier, On Broken Wings, Protest The Hero, Ramallah, Righteous Jams, Ringworm, Sanctity, Scars Of Tomorrow, From A Second Story Window, Shoot To Kill, Since The Flood, Skinless, Still Remains, Suffocation, Sworn Enemy, The Acacia Strain, The Absence, The Classic Struggle, The Miles Between, Torn Assunder, Trouble, Twelve Tribes, I Killed The Prom Queen, Wolf, xDEATHSTARx, and xLOOKINGFORWARDx. More bands will be announced in the coming weeks. Talent is subject to change.

"We’ve been extremely happy with how this festival has grown over the years," said MassConcerts Booking Agent and festival co-founder Scott Lee, "and this year the lineup is one of the most varied yet - a great mixture of different styles of bands."

The 8th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is brought to you by ESP Guitars and Krank Amps, teaming up to present the festival this year; Prosthetic Records, which is sponsoring the 2nd Stage upstairs, Revolver Magazine our exclusive magazine partner and creator of the official event program, Facedown Records which is sponsoring our street marketing efforts, FUSE TV, Mazur PR and The Syndicate. Vendors this year include Century Media, Trustkill, Eulogy/Hand of Hope, Metal Blade, Red Rocket Records, and many others.